Changing Water Budget Related to Transitioning from Conventional to Unconventional Oil Production in the Permian Basin

March 29, 2017


Description

How does increasing oil production from unconventional reservoirs using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling affect the water budget of an oil field? Here we evaluate the evolving water issues in the Permian Basin with increasing production from unconventional reservoirs and potential synergies in terms of water management. We compare water used for and produced with oil and gas from conventional and unconventional reservoirs using a detailed well by well analysis of ~78,000 wells.

Water use is dominated by hydraulic fracturing, with increasing water use per well by a factor of ~10 and per foot of lateral by a factor of ~7 over the past decade. Produced water is generated primarily by conventional wells, averaging ~13 barrels (bbl) of water/bbl of oil, relative to ~3 bbl water/bbl of oil from unconventional wells (2005 – 2015). However, the large volumes of produced water from conventional wells are readily accommodated by injection into pressure-depleted reservoirs (water flooding) whereas produced water from unconventional wells cannot be directly injected back into the low permeability reservoirs but is injected into non-producing horizons, resulting in over-pressuring in some shallow zones and could induce seismicity. Joint management of water from conventional and unconventional wells and reuse of produced water for hydraulic fracturing may help resolve some of the water issues, such as water scarcity for hydraulic fracturing and over-pressuring from disposal of produced water.


Featured Speakers

Speaker: Dr. Bridget Scanlon
Speaker Dr. Bridget Scanlon

Dr. Scanlon is a Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, Univ. of Texas at Austin. Her degrees are in Geology with a focus on hydrogeology with a B.A. Mod. from Trinity College in 1980, Dublin; M.Sc. from the Univ. of Alabama (1983) and …

Dr. Scanlon is a Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, Univ. of Texas at Austin. Her degrees are in Geology with a focus on hydrogeology with a B.A. Mod. from Trinity College in 1980, Dublin; M.Sc. from the Univ. of Alabama (1983) and Ph.D. from the Univ. of Kentucky (1985). She has worked at the Univ. of Texas since 1987. Her research group focuses on water energy issues related to unconventional reservoirs and electricity generation. She is an Associate Editor at Water Resources Research and at Environmental Research Letters. She is a Fellow of AGU and GSA and a member of NAE.

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Organizer

Reshmy Mohanan

We look forward to you joining us at our next WWM event. Networking begins at 11:00 AM; the presentation begins at 11:30 AM.


Please indicate any dietary restrictions at the time of registration.


For any other information, please e-mail me reshmy.mohanan@griffindewatering.com 


 


 


Date and Time

Wed, March 29, 2017

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
(GMT-0600) US/Central

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Location

Marathon Oil Tower & Conference Center

5555 San Felipe Road
Houston, Texas 77056
United States

5555 San Felipe Road, Houston, Texas, West Loop 77056 Visitors Parking has 3 levels. There are 2 elevators (V) for you to take to the LOBBY level. At the lobby: When you exit the elevator, you will see 6 other elevators Take any one of these 6 (C) UP to …

5555 San Felipe Road, Houston, Texas, West Loop 77056



  • Visitors Parking has 3 levels.

  • There are 2 elevators (V) for you to take to the LOBBY level.

  • At the lobby:

  • When you exit the elevator, you will see 6 other elevators

  • Take any one of these 6 (C) UP to the 10th level

  • Exit the elevators to the Conference Center

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Group(s): SPE Newsletter